We'll Take Baby Steps, Ok?
by Garsh-Man21
Summary: Toph has no basic knowledge of most things. He only really knows good etiquette, how to play music, and has good fashion(sometimes wearing dresses because of his mother, though he does somewhat like it). He's just a shy, timid, rich boy. Anyone would take advantage of this, but not Katara. Gender-bend. I'm not promising this will be a love story between them.
1. Chapter 1

"Is...is this the right place?" Katara asked, looking up at the large manor.

"This is the place that the ad said. It was kind of obvious though. I mean, the pay for the job is so high. No wonder. They're rich." Sokka said, looking at the newspaper, in the job listing sections. One of them was circled in red. "The only thing I don't get is that why are you applying for the job and I'm here with you."

"Think of it as moral support. Besides, I didn't want to walk here alone."

"Whatever, you big baby. Let's just go in." She said.

The two would have went inside, but a large black gate blocked them out. They could only see the long driveway, and part of the extravagant house.

Katara noticed that there was an intercom on the brick that held the gate together.

He pressed the button. Almost immediatly, the gates opened. They both jumped back.

"Uh, when'd he get there?" Sokka asked, pointing to a man standing where the middle of the gates connected. He had white hair that was combed back. He was in a nice suit as well.

"What are you here for?" He asked, in a british accent.

"Oh, uh, hi." Katara said, waving his hand. "I actually wanted to go for the tutoring and teaching job. Is it open?"

"Yes." He nodded. He started walking away. He turned back, seeing the two still standing, confused. "Well, come now. You'll need an interview."

They nodded, quickly following.

The inside of the house was just amazing as the outside. Full of deocrations and furniture.

"So, um, who am I going to be tutoring?" Katara asked.

Sokka was too in awe to even speek.

"The son of this house hold."

"House hold? More like hotel hold." Sokka said, noticing all of the rooms and doors.

"The Bei-Fongs like to keep things...upscale." The man hesitated.

"So, is your name like Jeeves or something?" Sokka asked.

Katara hit her arm.

The man sideglanced her. "My name is Gavin."

"Close enough." She shrugged.

"No, not really, young lady."

Katara heard something faint, intruding in his ear, gradually getting louder. Some music. A violin, maybe? No...Cello? He couldn't really tell. As they got closer, he knew it was a cello because of the depth of the sound.

"You are going to need to be interviewed by the parents of course."

They walked towards the living room. There were a few clinks of china, causing the two to think that there was tea.

"That was beautiful, Toph."

"Thank you, father."

"Maybe we should have you move onto another instrument."

"That would be fine, mother."

Gavin stopped infront of the two siblings, holding up a hand.

"Stay here, please."

Gavin walked into the living room. He stood halfway in the doorway, so to cue the two in soon.

The living family was sitting on the sofa.

Lao Bei-Fong wear a blue suit, pressed and dry cleaned.

Poppy Bei-Fong was in a long and flowing dress.

Toph Bei-Fong was in a sweater vest and long sleeved shirt with black pants. His long hair was tied in a braid. His cello was rested against the wall.

"Miss and Mister Bei-Fong. I had a possible teacher for Toph." He said.

"Send them in."

"Well, I'm already here." A man, in his late 40s or early 50s sat in an armchair, with a breifcase by his feet.

"Now, now, Mr. Rube. Let's give this a chance."

Mr. Rube smirked a bit as Katara and Sokka came into the room.

"Uh, hello. I wanted to apply for the job."

"Children?" Mr. Rube asked. "Highly unqualified."

"Hey, just 'cuz you're like a hundred years old and you've probably gone to three ivy leauge schools, doesn't mean you're more qualified than my brother." Sokka defended.

"Oh god..." Katara muttered, grabbing his temples.

"You see, we are in high school, so, we are fresh to the things that a regualr school proclaims the standard curriculm. He can take what he learns in class and then quickly project it onto your son easily. Plus, he is somewhat the same age as him, so, he can relate to us more."

Sokka paused, realizing she had just embarrassed herself and Katara.

"Oh, by the way, you have a beautiful daughter." She added.

Toph cringed inside, a piece of his dignity crumbling.

Ignoring the last comment, Lao pondered for a moment.

"You know, I believe she has a point."

"She does?" Katara asked. "I-I mean, she does!"

"I believe we have a teacher for you, Toph."

"Excuse me?" Mr. Rube asked.

"We have your number on call." Poppy said, dismissing him.

He got up, huffing out of his nose, grabbing his breifcase.

"So, who are you exactly?"

"Oh, um, I'm Katara and this is my sister Sokka. She's my-"

"Assistant. But, I prefer student teacher."

"Ok then." Lao got up shaking each of their hands. "Is it ok if you two come here about an hour everyday after school?"

"Yea. That'd-That'd be cool." Katara nodded. "We'll be here tomorrow, around 2:30."

"Yes. Do you agree, Toph?"

Toph nodded. He's never been taught by someone younger than fourty.

The next day...

"Sokka, where are you going?" Katara asked.

"Home..?" She said confused. They were outside of the school sidewalk. Sokka was going left. Katara was trying to go right.

"We have the teaching job."

"Oh! Do we have to? I just had a long stressful day for the last six and a half hours!" She complained.

"Uh, yea we have to. I mean, if you want us to not get paid and not kicked out of our apartment." Katara offered.

The two lived in an apartment in the middle of town, close to most things, such as restaraunts, shops, and of course, school.

"I thought you were just going for the job. Not both of us."

"Well, you're my assistant."

"Well, assistants don't always have to be there."

"Sokka, we both have to be there!"

"Are you just scared to walk there by yourself?"

Katara hesitated, refusing to answer.

"Look, I'll go there with you for a little while, but then I'm going to have to leave."

"Why?"

"I have a date with Suki." She stated, walking past him in his direction.

"How serious is that relationship?" Katara asked.

"Why don't you stop worrying about my personal life, and get your own? I mean, you have double the selection since your bi."

Katara shrugged. "It's not like I'm not looking. I'm just preoccupied with school work, the jobs I've had, taking care of you." He listed.

"Don't make excuses."

"I'm not really looking for a relationship anyway."

"I'm going to have to take you to a club or something." Sokka said, waving a finger.

At the Bei-Fong house...

One of the servants took Sokka and Katara to Toph's room. Before Katara could stop Sokka form barging in, she already did.

Toph was sitting on his bed, hands folded neatly in his lap.

"Why are you just sitiing there?" Sokka asked.

"I was waiting for you two."

"Well, we're here."

"I...I noticed."

The room was big, but the walls were bare, only a few shelves with books on them. There were two doors at either end, one a bathroom, one a closet. There was a table to the side with a few chairs, which Katara guessed.

Katara's phone rang, and he stepped out for a moment.

Sokka threw her bag down, and plopped on her back on his bed.

"So, um, how are you?" Toph asked.

"Oh god, I am so not in the mood today. It's that time of the month, if ya know what I mean. And, I have a date with my boyfriend and he is probably going to want some. But, don't tell my brother I said that." Sokka said.

Toph's eyes darted, unsure of what to do or what that meant.

"Though you probably don't what I'm talking about. Have you even hit puberty yet? You don't even have any boobs yet. " She poked his chest, causing Toph to become even more nervous.

"I-I don't believe I've hit what you are talking about." He replied.

"I knew it."

Katara came back in the room, closing his phone.

"Who was that?"

"None of your business." He said.

Sokka stretched into an upright position. "Well, I'm leaving." She announced.

"We just got here." Katara said.

"I said I'd only come for a little while. It's more than a little while."

"Five minutes is not the time I expected."

Sokka grabbed her bag, getting up.

"Sokka..."

"Hey, who's the oldest?"

"You are."

"And, who did dad leave in charge when he went undercover?"

Katara groaned. "You."

"Good. You remember. Now, I'm leaving and I'm going to get ready for my date."

"Am...am I intruding?" Toph asked.

"Please. He's just being a drama queen. Guys, right?"

"Um, I...I suppose?"

"See? Two girls against one boy. I'm leaving." Sokka walked out of the room and soon out of the house.

"Did I...did I do something?" Toph asked.

"No. She's just..." Katara shook his head, whistling and circling his finger near his brain. He pulled the table in the middle of the room, a bit more, and sat. He motioned him to join.

Toph sat in the second chair.

"So, I borrowed some extra textbooks from school. Science, Social Studies, Geometry. Mostly the basic things."

Toph nodded. He looked up at Katara. "Why does your sister think I'm a girl?"

Katara shrugged. "Sokka's just weird. She doesn't really pay attention to pronouns."

"What are pronouns?"

Katara didn't find that too weird. He himself didn't fully understand what a pronoun was until a few years ago.

"Well, it's when you replace a noun with another word. Like he, she, it, them, us."

Toph nodded slowly.

"Do I look like a girl?" He asked.

Katara hesitated, looking at his face. He couldn't deny his face had feminine parts about it. He also couldn't deny that he was cute. Maybe Sokka did need to take him out to a club.

"How old are you?"

"Fourteen." Toph said quietly. "How about you?"

"Um...seventeen in a few months."

There was a screech in Katara's mind. He could not think of hooking up with him. He was two years younger than him, soon to be three. That would not look good for him. Then, why was he still thinking about it?

"Well, um, there you go. You haven't really grown yet. In a few years, you'll look more like a guy." Katara explained. "Now, let's get to work. We should probably start with english."

He got out a few papers.

"I'll start with teaching you how to write-"

"You're going to teach me how to write?" Toph asked, a little bit afraid.

"Uh, no. I'm gonna teach you how to write an essay. In school, my teacher taught us how to put one together after reading a book."

Toph shook his head. "But, I don't know how to do either of those things."

"Well, once you learn to write an essay, you'll be able to put it together easily."

"I can't do those either, but I meant that I can't...I-I can't..."

Toph paused, looking off.

"I can't read or write." He stated, obviously embarrassed.

Katara didn't respond.


	2. Chapter 2

Toph sat on his bed, knees curled to the tip of his nose. He was looking out his window. He squeezed his legs tighter to himself.

_I should stop. I'm creasing my pants. _He thought.

But, he didn't. It's not like anyone would notice.

"What are you doing? I thought you'd be ready for your lesson by now."

Toph looked up, surprised.

"You're here?" He asked softly.

Katara set his bag against the bed, sitting on it, next to Toph. The table was gone.

"Of course. I mean, I need the paycheck." He smiled.

Toph returned to his saddened state. "You're only going to teach me for money?"

Katara's expression softened. "I didn't mean it like that. I was joking."

"I thought you wouldn't come back. That...you didn't want to teach me anymore."

"Why would I do that?"

"Because all the others have."

Others? How many teachers has Toph had?

"You know what my Gran-Gran says?" He asked, smiling again.

Toph looked at him with his greenish-gray eyes.

"Education isn't something money can buy. It's something you have to take time to learn and nourish. She's amazing in my eyes. She makes the best homemade pizzas. I try to make them like hers, but it's not the same."

"I get it, I think."

Toph looked back out the window. "You left early that time. And, you haven't been here the past few days."

Katara sighed. "My Gran-Gran was in the hospital."

"Oh. I-I'm sorry."

Katara shook his head. "Don't worry about it. She just broke her hip doing something old people probably shouldn't do. It's not fatal or anything." He cringed.

"What shouldn't old people do?" Toph asked curiously.

"Well, you know."

Toph shook his head, curiousity taking over for his sadness.

"Sorry. I'm not too comfortable with saying this." Katara tried rewording it in his mind. "Um...like the facts of life."

Toph raised a brow.

"Birds and the bees?"

"They shouldn't be able to play violin? Because, I like the song, The Flight of a Bumblebee. My music instructor taught me that."

"Not exactly..."

Before Toph could ask what that meant, Katara turned the subject. "You know, I switched up the itinerary for your learning. I made it so it won't be so hard, but still a bit challenging. And, I believe, that once we get past reading and writing, everything else will be uphill."

Katara could tell that Toph was a bit uneasy with this.

"Remember last time, when we went over the alphabet and I showed you how to write them, but we stopped at Q?"

Toph nodded.

Katara took a notebook and pencil out of his backpack, handing it to him. "Then, write A to Q for me."

"I...I don't-"

"Come on. Even if you don't, I know you can."

Toph grew from the encouragment, resting the notebook on his lap.

"What hand do you feel most comfortable with?"

"Um...my left." He said after hesitation, putting the pencil in his hand.

"Cool. Me too. That means, you write with that one."

Katara moved closer to Toph, watching over him.

Toph took his pencil, straggling the lines of the letters below it.

"You hold the pencil a bit odd." Katara said. "You hold it like a baseball bat."

"How should I hold it?"

"Well..." Katara put his arm over Toph's shoulder, his left arm going over his small one. He put his hand over his, grasping the pencil for him like he does.

"See, you should hold it like this. Your index finger on the top of it, middle finger holding the bottom of it, thumb on the side, and then your wrist giving you more support."

He led his hand and the pencil,writing the letters C and D.

Toph looked up at Katara. Their faces were not too far apart.

"I'm writing, aren't I?" He smiled.

Katara's mind raced of Toph's cute face. The mix of his boy and girlish parts were doing a number on him. He parted his lips a bit.

He could not be thinking of these things.

He could not be thinking of these things.

Katara retracted his arm, blushing. "Um, can I use your bathroom?"

"Yes."

Katara got up uncomfortably, walking so Toph wouldn't noticed his growing problem. He opened the door, walking in.

"That's my-"

"Closet. Gotcha." Katara said quickly, walking across the room to the bathroom door.

He came back a few minutes later, feeling awkward. He had never *taken care* of himself outside of his room.

"Are you ok?" Toph asked.

"Uh, yea. I just had like five cartons of chocolate milk today."

"I've only had chocolate milk once. It was like your skin color. I really liked it."

"Why only once, if you like it?"

"My body doesn't react well with sugar."

"Well, let's continue working."

Toph was a fast learner, as long as you showed him how to do it once or twice. He had soon remembered the alphabet completely, writing it decently.

Katara wanted to know a little about him.

"So, why don't you just go to private or public school?"

Toph shrugged, concentrating on the zig and the zag of the Z. "Does it look like a N when turned on the side?" He asked.

Katara laughed. "That's true."

"So, you didn't answer my question."

"I don't really know. They don't like me leaving the house for anything."

"You don't leave the house at all?"

"No."

"How do you learn those instruments? How do you buy clothes? Hang out with friends?"

"Everything that has to do with the outside, comes in for me. I have a music teacher who comes here. A clothes designer comes here or my mom goes to the store and leave the servants to watch after me. And, I don't have any friends."

"What do you do around here?"

"Nothing really. Sometimes, I just look out my window into the garden. I'd like to go out there, but my parents don't want me to."

"They won't even let you into your own garden?"

"They think I might get hurt. And, I don't want to get hurt."

"Where are your parents, actually?"

"Work. They aren't here that often. Usually, I dismiss the people who work here myself."

"So, they just leave you here all day?"

"Sometime more. But, they always check on me when they get back."

"You just stay here alone all day?"

Toph shrugged, circling back around to A. "Not completely alone. Sometimes, a few of the people who work here stay when my parents aren't here."

"How would you like to go out for a while?"

Toph looked completely scared. "O-outside?"

"Well, yea."

"W-where would we go?"

"My apartment, if you want."

"You have your own apartment?"

"Well, my dad lives there too, when he's not in the army anyway. And, unfortunetly, I have to share it with Sokka." He smirked at his joke.

"Can we go to the hospital?"

"Why?"

"I want to meet your grandmother. She seems like a nice woman by what you've told."

Katara nodded. "Yea. How about next week? She'll be back at her house by then. She lives near here my apartment. Sokka and I don't have school next week, so we'll be over there."

"Katara?" Toph asked softly.

"Hm?"

Toph opened his mouth to ask something, but nothing came.

"You know, Toph, if there's anything you wanna talk about, we can just talk."

"Um..." Toph thought for a moment. "What if I'm scared to go outside? I mean, I have literally never been outside this house."

"Well, I suppose after you came from the hospital-"

"I was born here."

"What?"

"I was born in this house. Not in this room particually, but I believe you understand."

"Really?"

"Yes. My parents wanted a home birth. A doctor came here."

"Well, you know Toph, everything takes a little time and courage. Right now, you have the time to think about if you want to leave, then you have to have the courage to take the first steps out of this house. Like baby steps, cool?"

"I remember when I took my first steps. I was four."

"K-Katara, I don't think I can do this!"

"Am I going to have to carry you?" Katara laughed. "Remember what I said about the time and courage thing?"

"But...but, you told me you made that up on the spot."

"Toph come on. You're almost there."

Toph clung to the opening of the front door. His feet were on the verge of being inside to outside. Of course, Toph had never done anything like this. Yes, minutes ago he thought this would be easy, but fear was taking over.

Katara had found Toph his old coat and let him borrow it. He guessed that of he wasn't going to have one himself, since he never left. Katara stood a few feet infront of him.

"It's cold out there."

"It's February. Which leads me to ask how your parents have a garden in February."

Toph shook his head rapidly, a squeal escaping.

"Ok, fine. I'm leaving..." Katara said in a sing song voice. He turned on his heels, continuing to walk down the long driveway, hoping the bait would work.

He suddenly felt a huge tug on his arm.

"D-don't leave me alone, Katara. I already gave everyone here the day off, a-and I've never been home alone completely." Toph said softly.

"You should probably zip up your coat all the way. It is very cold."

"But, th-then I'd have to let go of you and if I did that something could happen to me. L-like I could trip and hurt myself."

"Or we can trip together and both die." Katara shrugged.

Toph gripped Katara's arm tighter in fear.

_What have these people done to him? _Katara thought.

"Uh, Toph? You can let go of my arm now. We're here." Katara said, turning his spare key for his Gran-Gran's house.

"Promise nothing will happen to me?" He asked softly.

"Promise."

Toph let his arms slid off Katara's.

"Shouldn't I take my shoes off first?" Toph asked, looking at the carpet. Katara had just walked in.

Katara shrugged.

Toph slipped his shoes off quickly, careful not to step in the snow on the steps.

"Katara, my favorite grandson." An old woman wobbled on a cane towards him. Katara hugged her carefully.

"I'm your only grandson, Gran-Gran."

"Who knows?" She looked towards Toph, holding his shoes. "Who's this cute girl?"

"This is Toph. _**He**_," Katara stressed the word, "He wanted to meet you."

Gran-Gran walked over to him, putting a hand on his cheek. "I am so sorry dear. I have terrible eyes, you see. What would you want to see an old bag like me?"

"I don't believe you're an old bag. Katara told me a lot about you and I decided that my first destination out of this house would be perfect. Now, is there somewhere I can put my shoes?"

Gran-Gran threw her free hand up and shrugged. "Bah, just throw them anywhere. You're a guest, not someone I suspect who's going to stuff everything I owe of value in their shoes. Why did you take them off?"

Toph grew nervous. It was either something to do with the lack of social encounters or the women in the family.

"Um, I-I didn't want to be rude and mess up your nice floors with the snow and dirt that got on my shoes."

"Do you think I'd let my grandchildren and their friends come over if I cared about my carpet?"


	3. Chapter 3

"Who else is here?" Katara asked, noticing the small pile of coats next to the door.

"Oh, just Aang and Zuko."

"Oh. Cool." Katara said.

"Come on. Take that coat off. You must be boiling." Gran-Gran said, tapping Toph's back with her cane. She quite liked it. Now, she could threaten her grandchildren for amusement. Though, most of the time, they teetered, but Toph had a sturdy stance.

"Should...should I just put it where the others are?"

"Put it wherever." She said, not really caring.

Toph tried his hardest not to fold it as he let it sink down.

"Why are you dressed for my funeral?" Gran-Gran asked, picking at his collared shirt and tie.

Toph didn't know how to respond, not even knowing what that was.

"Come on. Let's go to my room." Katara said, about to leave the main room.

"Katara, I'm so glad you have another guy friend besides that Suki. Just try to keep him around instead of just sleeping with him, ok?" Gran-Gran said, grabbing his shirt.

"We're going to sleep? I'm not really that tired." Toph said confused.

Gran-Gran looked at him and back to her grandson.

"Where did you pick this child up?"

"His house. He's the one I'm teaching at my job."

"I hope there's a health class included."

"Health class?" Toph asked.

She sighed. "Oh, dear. Does he even know the difference between a good touch and a bad touch?"

"Don't worry, Gran-Gran. I'm not going to do anything to him. I swear." Katara promised.

He motioned Toph to follow him down the hall to his temporary room for his vacation.

"Actually, how about you go get Sokka and her friends and then we can make dinner. It's your favorite, Katara."

"Oh, seriously? Pizza!" He cheered, running up the stairs to Sokka's room. He came back five seconds later, rambling on. "Can we start now? Huh, huh, huh?"

Gran-Gran laughed. "Wait for the girls, Katara."

Katara tapped his foot.

"He really likes your pizza, doesn't he?" Toph asked.

"Are you crazy?! You have to have no taste buds whatsoever not to like this pizza!" Katara said, shaking him by his shoulders.

Sokka, coming out of nowhere, threw him off him.

"Stop it! You'll give her shaken baby syndrome!" She cried, pulling Toph into her arms, hands connected infront of his stomach.

"Sokka, I don't think that's a gi-"

"Zuko shush!" Sokka hushed her. She stroked his hair, much to his dismay. But, being the gentleman he was, he was not going to stop her and seem rude.

"Who's this?" Aang asked.

"That's Toph. Toph, Aang and Zuko."

"Hello." Toph waved. He almost seemed unfazed by Sokka's oddness.

"What? Is he sleeping with you or something?" Zuko asked.

Katara groaned, not knowing why they all thought this. "I. Just. Want. Pizza."

"Ok, let's go then, children."

Sokka walked to the kitchen, not allowing Toph to be free, not trusting her brother.

"I've never made pizza before." Toph muttered. "Let alone taste it."

Everyone looked at him.

"You've never eaten pizza?" Zuko asked.

She seemed kind of angry at...well, everything.

He shook his head.

"There's always a time for everything." Gran-Gran said. She handed Aang her cane, cracking her knuckles like a professional.

She dropped a piece of dough, the size to make for one person, onto the floured part of the counter. She flipped it a few times to make sure each side was floured just right. She kneaded it a bit, proceeding to continue the process by throwing it into the air with her finger tips. Then, she fixed it to a thin spread in the middle, but a thick crust on the edges.

Toph was amazed at this, never seeing anything like this before.

"Now, you try."

They each took a piece of the floured counter, mimicking what Gran-Gran had demonstrated. Of course, they all had done it by then, besides Toph.

Katara was already squatting infront of the oven, waiting.

"There you go. You're doing just fine." Gran-Gran said, overseeing Toph as he lightly tossed the dough into the air. He was a little slow, the last one still working on his.

He looked at her, about to say thank you, when the dough fell over his head.

"It's ok. Just pick the hairs out later." She said.

"I-I can't get it off!" It was meddling with his hair.

"Lemme help." Sokka said, going towards him.

"O-ow!" He cried, as the sticky dough tugged on his hair as Sokka tried to pull the dough off.

"You probably didn't use enough flour." Aang said.

"H-how do I get it off?" He asked, fearing the state of his hair.

"Katara, you need to get the dough out of her hair!" Sokka cried.

"Why do I have to do it?"

"Because you did it when I got it stuck in my hair."

"You do it. You probably know how."

"Katara, please?"

Katara's heart softened hearing the small voice.

"I need a comb, a bowl of water, and a spray bottle."

Soon...

"You might want to take your shirt off." Katara said, sitting on the couch in the living room and getting his "station" ready.

"Ok."

Toph started unbuttoning his shirt, loosening his tie.

He was folding his shirt when a pair of hands suddenly covered his moobs.

"Do not look, Katara! How could you asked her to take her shirt-" Sokka paused. She started feeling his chest. She counted six squares.

Katara looked up, the outburst causing him to. His eye twitched as well as something else.

"Are you a guy?" Sokka asked.

"Did you just figure that out?" Zuko said. "Because, I would never have guessed. Especially since he's like a miniature version of Hulk Holgan."

"Who's that?" Toph asked.

Sokka pulled her hands away. "Why didn't you tell me you were a guy?!"

"I...I didn't want to be rude."

"Identifying your gender isn't rude, Toph." Katara said. He patted the seat next to him for Toph to sit.

For the next twenty minutes Katara sectioned off Toph's long hair, combed through it to get all of the dough out (careful to wipe the comb of any dough before going back into the mane so it would not snag), and trim off the parts of Toph's hair that could not be salvaged. No one would be able to tell though, his handiwork with scissors superb.

"Why is everyone just watching us?" Katara asked, suddenly noticing all of the women staring.

"It's oddly fascinating." Aang said.

"You know, you have a beautiful home." Toph said to Gran-Gran.

"Oh, thank you."

"What?! Are you kidding me? Compared to the house you live in this place is-"

"Sokka!" Katara interrupted.

"Sorry Gran-Gran, but he lives in the biggest, baddest house in the town. Possibly even the world!"

"Yes. That is true, but there's a difference in homes." Toph said. "This has so many pictures of your family and friends, while my parents only wanted the house designed for decoration. We don't have many pictures on the wall or in frames."

"There's got to one picture."

"Well, there is one of me in a dress." Toph said, recalling the photo.

"What?" Sokka asked, confused.

"My mother thought I'd look cute in a dress. If I find it, I'll show it to you all and get your honest opinion."

"Are you like a hermaphrodite or something?"

"Is that some type of termite?"

"Ugh! Never mind."

Katara let the scissors fall to the couch cushion.

"Kay, your hair is finished. Maybe a little damp but dough-free."

"Thank you, Katara." Toph decided to tie his hair up simply for the moment.

"Bad news or good news?" Gran-Gran asked as Toph carefully replaced his shirt on.

"Good news."

"There's cake."

"Ok, what's the bad news?"

"All your pizzas are burnt because I forgot about them."

Katara fell off the couch to his knees. "Gran-Gran! Why?!"

*Scene fades to black*

*Scene fades back in*

"I wouldn't recommend you into an acting career." Zuko said.

They all went to the table to enjoy another one of Gran-Gran's specialties. Chocolate cake.

"Um, is there any sugar in this?" Toph asked.

"Well, duh. It's a cake." Sokka said.

"I-I don't think I should eat this."

"Dude, it's cake. Everyone eats cake."

"I haven't exactly had good experiences with-"

Zuko shoved a forkful in his mouth. "Now eat and shut up."

His eyes grew wide.

Several hours later...

"Ok, ok. I take total responsibility for that." Zuko said.

"He's such an eccentric boy." Gran-Gran stated.

They were all holed up in the kitchen, besides Toph.

"Guys. Guys, do you hear that?" Aang asked.

"I don't hear anything." Katara said.

"Exactly."

Sokka peeked into the living room, seeing the overturned couch on it's back.

"Maybe he left." She said.

"What?" Katara asked worried. He could not lose his boss' son.

They all calmly walked into the living room, which looked like it was ransacked.

Behind the fallen couch was a soundly sleeping Toph, candy and sweet residue crusted on his lips.

"This guy is a psycho." Zuko muttered.

"Come on. He looks so cute-I mean, peaceful." Katara said, catching himself.

"Well, if he's going to sleep after his little candy rampage, I say we make this a sleep over!" Sokka offered.

They all looked at Gran-Gran.

"Clean up this mess and it is a yes."

**Author's note.**

**A lot of people seem to like this one. I'm a little confused why, but hey, if my writing is reaching someone, cool. So, Toph is kinda like Mac from Foster's Home of Imaginary Friends when he get sugar in his system, except he doesn't go around town naked. It is not a smart thing.**

**Here's a video of Mac.**

** /watch?v=VrZW1BxoZpw**


	4. Chapter 4

Toph rubbed his eyes, scratched his head, and yawned tiredly.

He jumped a bit, realizing he wasn't in his room. He was in a semi clean room, with clothes strewn in the corners of the room, textbooks piled on the floor, and posters poorly tacked to the wall. The room wasn't lit properly, the sun barely risen.

Toph's only guess was that this was Katara's room. It seemed more than a permanent room.

"Oh, gosh..." Toph muttered, looking at his stained shirt. He took it off, wondering how it got so dirty.

He had been blacked out since the time that Katara's grandmother offered cake. He hoped that he had just fallen asleep from this.

He pushed back the covers upon him, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. Toph's hair was a mess. He let his hair fall out, shaking his head, before tying it back up neatly. His bangs were still unruly.

Toph got out of the bed slowly, the floor creaking under him. He tripped over one of the books, his chin crashing to the floor. Paper erupted out of the books.

He went up on his knees, attempting to pick them all up, until he found a magazine in one of them.

He began sifting through it. He started to feel a little self concious, since he wasn't able to read it. He had remembered most of the letters, like Q and D and C. He remembered that Katara said that reading was understanding what the letters and the words were trying to say, not the actual letters themselves.

Toph sighed, setting the papers down.

Now, he wanted to see Katara. He made him feel better for some reason.

Katara snored loudly in a pattern Toph remembered. He was sitting on the floor infront of the couch that Katara was sleeping on.

Katara would breathe out of his nose, then open his mouth widely to breathe in air and a loud sound (similar to a chainsaw), would escape.

The chain of repitition was broken when Katara sucked in a breath through his nose and turned to his side, using his hands as a make shift pillow.

He clicked his tongue to the roof of his mouth, and his eyes cracked as he blinked a bit.

He saw Toph sitting straight up below him.

"Good morning, Katara." Toph said cheerily.

Katara laughed a bit, smiling. "S'up, Candy Boy." He picked the sand out of his eyes, but failing to sit up.

"Huh?"

"Last night you *yawn* you totally freaked out when Zuko gave you some cake. I mean, I probably shoulda...shoulda remembered since you told me last week." Katara said. "How long have you been sitting there?"

"I don't really know. Maybe about an hour? I didn't want to wake you up."

"Heh. Maybe you should teach Sokka to wait for me to wake up." He smirked.

"Are you still tired?" Toph asked. "I can wait a little more if you are."

"Nah. I'm ok. Probably just need some orange juice." He sat up, yawning loudly and his mouth wide.

"What's that?" Toph asked, pointing to the back of his throat.

"What?"

Toph stood up. "Open you mouth again."

"Uh, ok?"

"That! That little ball hanging."

"Oh. You mean my uvula?"

Toph nodded. "Do I have one?"

"Yea. 'Course. Most people do. It helps create your speech patterns or something like that."

"What if I didn't have it?"

"It wouldn't really affect you too much. You'd still be able to talk at least."

Katara got up, going to the kitchen, Toph following.

"So, um, when are you going to teach me how to read?" Toph asked. He disappeared for a moment, the frigde door blocking him. Katara closed it, taking the orange juice to the counter.

"I dunno. You can already write pretty good, so soon, I guess." He shrugged. "Want some?"

"What's it taste like?"

"Orange-y?" Katara said a bit uncertain. He noticed the label said sugar free, so it would be ok.

"Sure."

Katara took out two cups, pouring some into each.

"Here." He said, handing it to him.

Toph held the cup in both hands, weary.

"Katara, can I ask you something?"

"Only if I can ask you something first."

Toph nodded.

"How in the world do you have an upper body like that?" He asked.

Toph looked down at himself.

"What? Do your parents hire personal trainers for you too?"

"Yes. I do a series of excercises and activities every few days." He nodded. "They want me to be able to protect myself someone tries to hurt me."

Katara chuckled a bit, downing the rest of his cup, and pouring himself some more. Toph didn't really seem like someone to jump at you.

"Now, what's your question?"

"Well, remember a week ago when you came after your grandmother broke her hip?"

Katara nodded, going off into space, looking at Toph's chest. He licked his lips.

Suddenly, an angel, in the person of Gran-Gran with wings, appeared on his left shoulder.

"Katara, do not think about that boy in that sort of fashion!"

A devil, in the shape of Zuko with horns and a tail, appeared on his right.

"Oh come on. He's flaunting himself for you right now. So you might get a few years in jail for statutory rape? At least then you'll get to have _all _the sex you want in the showers."

Katara's eyes blinked open wide.

"Katara? Katara are you listening to me?" Toph asked.

"Uh, repeat the question?"

"Why were you touching your when you went to the bathroom at my house? And, why did something white come out of you?"

"E-excuse me?" He said a bit shocked.

"You aren't really much for listening are you, Katara?"

"N-no. I heard. You just...you saw me?"

"I didn't mean to. You were just making a lot of noise and I wanted to make sure you were ok. I opened the door a bit and saw you leaning against my sink, touching you genitals. Then, you let out a low grunt and a white stream came out of you. You aren't sick, are you?"

The devil Zuko came back. "Oh. I say he owes you a peek of himself since he saw you."

Katara swatted his shoulder.

"No. I'm not sick."

"Then...what was that white stuff?"

"Um, how about I tell you this when we get back to your house?"

"Why not now, Katara?"

"Uh, I really just want to get you home before your parents notice."

"They're on a business trip. They won't be back until next week or so."

"Well, there are still those people who work for you."

"It's only 4:30. I'm not suppose to eat breakfast until 9:45."

4:30? No wonder Katara was so tired. But, just because he had a few hours to get Toph back, didn't mean he was going to answer him just yet. Who knew who was going to come around the corner.

"Well, it's kind of a guy thing, ya know?" Katara said, moving his shoulders a bit. "Like, you don't want the girls hearing about this."

Toph nodded, understanding. "So, is that time of the month a girl thing?"

"Yea." Katara smiled, hoping he'd get it and drop the subject.

"What is that time of the month?"

Katara groaned a bit. "How about you go back to my room and I go back to the couch and we go back to sleep and I will answer any questions you have when we wake up."

Toph nodded. He was feeling a bit tired anyway. "Can...can I sleep down here with you? I know you said no more questions, but I just don't want to be in your room alone."

Katara nodded, not wanting him to be uncomfortable.

Instead of him returning to the couch, he went to the floor as he made Toph sleep on the couch to be a better host.

Though, sleep didn't come fast for him, thinking of some way to add health class to his teachings.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's note...**

**I probably shouldn't have to say this since it's rated M anyway, but there are mentions of masturbation and other vulgar language. If you do not like that stuff in the mentionings, I suggest not to read the rest of this story.**

**And, hey! Can anyone guess the book they're reading?**

"Are you going to tell me, now?" Toph asked, taking Katara's coat off and trying to hand it to him. He just shook his head and told him to keep it.

"Huh?"

"About what you were doing in the bathroom, remember?"

"O-oh. Yea. Um..."

Katara gulped, not really thinking the boy could be so naive or wanting to answer. He was fourteen. Wasn't he just ending or starting puberty? Then again, he didn't even know how to read or write. Or, it was mostly he didn't know how to read.

_Wait. Duh. Mental face palm, Katara. _He thought.

"Hey, Toph. Wanna learn how to read?"

Toph put on a wide, open mouth smile. He stood excitedly on the tips of his toes and clasped his hands together.

"Really, Katara? You are going to teach me how to read, yes?"

"'Course. Why wouldn't I?"

Toph rested back on his feet, one arm falling, and the other hand rubbing it securly. He looked off at an angle, frowning a bit.

"I'd just thought that you'd think I was too much of an idiot to learn."

"You aren't an idiot. You just haven't had the proper education, remember? You need to stop being so down on yourself. All you've gotta do is believe. Like Spongebob when he wanted to become a man."

Toph raised a brow.

"Oh, come on!" Katara laughed. "You don't know who Spongebob Squarepants is?"

Toph shook his head. "Is he some type of business person?"

"No. He's a cartoon character. You know, on tv."

"I don't watch tv."

"You know Sokka would faint if she heard you?"

Toph shook his head. "Actually, no. I wouldn't know."

"That was rhetorical."

"Oh. Ok."

Katara went over the book shelf with the several books on it. He grabbed on one that he had just finished reading.

He held it infront of Toph, sitting ontop of his leg on the bed.

"Can you tell me what letters are in the title?"

Toph put a curious finger to his lips. "Um...there's two Os, two Ks, and two Ls...Oh! And, three Is. There's also a G, a B, a D, a lower case A, a M, a T, a C, and a N."

"You forgot an R, but it doesn't really matter. You did really great with that. Now that you can identify the letters, I've got to have some sort of way to convey the words for you to understand them properly."

Toph nodded.

"A thing that works for most people is sounding out the letters."

"What?"

"Like the letter A sounded out is ah. B is buh."

"Is C sss?"

"Well, kind of. It can also be cuh. C is kinda weird."

Toph nodded, begining to understand a bit.

"So...D is day?"

"Duh."

"I'm right?" Toph asked, surprised.

"Well, no. The D makes the duh sound."

"Oh."

Katara thought it might be better to move onto E.

"Eh?" Toph asked, not really knowing.

"Right!" Katara said happily.

"Actually, that wasn't what I meant."

"You know, we need a system for this, because I know I'm not the only one confused." Katara stated.

Toph nodded in agreement.

Later that day...

"Katara?"

"Hm?"

After going over the sounding of the letters, Katara had started Toph on writing his own words, such as his name and other small words.

"Why does it turn so dark out when it's only four?"

"Because it's winter, and winter has less hours of the day that have light."

"Why?"

"Because the earth is tilted on an axis and it's more tilted away from the sun. You see, the world rotates around the sun and it rotates in a circle itself. Right now, the earth is positioned in a way that our side of the planet isn't directly towards the sun. But, in a couple months we're going to have some spring weather and the days will get longer."

Toph nodded. "Good. I don't really like the cold. And, I don't like how it gets so dark either."

Katara nodded. He could understand that. Personally, he just like the winter because of the snow and the time he got to spend time with his family.

Over the next few weeks when Katara came to visit and teach Toph, he kind of noticed that Toph didn't spend much with anyone but him and himself.

"Can I ever come over earlier?" He asked one day, as they started reading the book that.

Toph shrugged, trying to sound out the words on the page before he read them, as not to sound idiotic. Katara called this ignorance, and he would learn eventually. Writing and identifying the letters was easy. Actually being able to read them, not so much...He was good with small words though.

"Like, on weekends and stuff."

"Um...Well, my parents think I sleep in until it's time for my breakfast, so you aren't able to come then. But, you can come after my fitness training. That's after my breakfast. That'll be about...eleven or eleven-thirty depending on my mood."

Katara raised a brow. "You know, Sokka might be right. I think you actually mught be a girl if you're moody in the morning."

"I feel like I'm going to have to show you that I'm not a girl."

"How exactly?"

"Isn't it obvious Katara." Toph said, feeling confident about this.

Katara knew he probably shouldn't be doing this, but if Toph was offering...

"Well come on then."

Toph got up. He went to his desk, climbing on top of it to reach the shelfs.

Somehow, Katara had missed the very top shelf.

"Do you need help?"

"No. Because, I've just...I've just go it." He grabbed a frame on the top, and stepped down. "Look."

Katara looked at the frame as he was handed it. It was of Toph's birth certificate. He could clearly see that it said male on it, but he also noticed something else in the corner of it.

"You say you're a guy, right?"

"Yes."

"Then why is there this picture of you, as a baby, in a dress.

Toph took the frame back. He blushed seeing the photo.

"I...I had forgotten about that."

Katara took the picture out of the frame's corner, looking at it.

"Are you wearing makeup in this?"

"I don't know. Possibly?"

Katara shook his head of the picture, returning to focus.

"Go on. Keep reading." He motioned.

Toph groaned softly, picking up the book and beginning to read.

"B-being..." He paused.

"Southerners." Katara said for him.

"Right. Being Southerners-" Toph paused again. "What does that mean? Being a Southerner?"

"Like, they're in the South of the country. Alabama, Texas, Georgia. States like that."

Toph nodded. "Being Southerners, it was a...so-source of s-s-"

"Remember. If a S comes before an H, it makes a shhh sound." Katara reminded.

"Thanks. It was a source of sh-shame to some me...mb-bers of the fa...my...lie."

"Family."

"Oh." He concentrated even harder, trying not to make these simple mistakes. "...family that we had no r-r-resorded-"

"Recorded. It makes a hard C sound."

Toph continued. "Recorded a-an...kestors-"

"Soft C that time. But, don't worry. Those can be tricky."

"Recorded an...cestors on...on..." He looked up at Katara. "What's that word?"

"Either."

"Either si...side of the Buh...ba...battle of Hast..i..in-inguhs."

"Hastings. The Battle of Hastings."

"What was that?"

"A war in England. Continue reading, ok?"

"Do I have to?" Toph whined.

"Well, how are you suppose to get better?"

Toph sighed.

"All we had was S..S..."

"Simon."

"Simon Finch," He recalled Finch being in the book earlier,"a f-f-fur t-tr-trapp-ing..." He stopped again. "I don't know that word, Katara."

"Apothecary. It's a historical name for a medical professional."

"So, a doctor?"

"Yea."

"Apothecary from...C-Corn...wall whose ...piety was ex-excuuded-"

"Exceeded."

"Exceeded only by his st-sting..iness."

"It's stinginess. You're saying it like sting, like a bee sting."

"Oh. Sorry."

"It's ok. Now reread that sentence." Katara instructed.

"B-being Southerners, it was a source of shame to some members of the family that we had no re...recorded ancestors on e-either side of the Battle of Hastings. All we had was Se-Simon Finch, a fur-trapping a-apoth-thecary from Corn...wall whose piety was exceeded only by his stinginess."

Katara smiled. "That was very good Toph."

"Can we stop for a minute?" Toph asked. "Because, it's been a while and you still haven't told me that guy thing that you were going to tell me."

Katara clenched his teeth. "Do I really have to tell you?"

Toph shook his head. "No. You don't have to."

Katara sighed. "No, no. I think I really do."

Toph sat up straight, listening ears on.

Katara leaned back on his palms.

"Well, what I was doing was called masturbation. Sometimes, a guy masturbates when he gets...excited. Like, sexually."

"What does that mean?"

"Have you gone through puberty?"

"I once found a hair on my chest, but then I noticed it was a hair from my head. Does that count?"

"No."

"Hm."

"Well, when you hit puberty, sometimes your...you know, gets erect."

"What's my you know?"

Katara groaned. "Ok, I'm just going to be straight forward." He decided that he didn't deserve to continue to be treated like a baby.

"A guy gets to a certain age, and at that age their voices change, they get taller, and their mucles build increases. Adding to that, their cocks happen to get hard at random times. I remember when I was eleven and I would get hard all the time. Gym class was awkward for all the guys."

"I think I know what you're talking about." Toph said. "Sometimes, I wake up in the morning and there's this white stuff inside my boxers or my cocks is just sticking up. I've never talked about it to anyone, but you, now."

"What do you do when that happens?"

"Nothing. I just wait for it to go down. Sometimes, it takes a while though."

"Well, if you want to get it down quickly you just have to rub and touch yourself until you cum."

"Cum?"

"Yea. That white stuff. It's kinda like how people let their sexual frustrations out."

Toph put a finger to his chin. "Do girls masturbate too?"

"Yea, just in a different way."

"No kidding, Katara. I'm clueless, not stupid. I know that guys have different parts than girls."

"Huh. Good. I don't have to reteach this stuff all the way, then."

Katara clapped his hands together. "I think this was a good start to reading and health class."


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's note...**

**Sorry for not updating in a while. Lately, I've been having a lot of school and family work, including my baby nephew who I(no offense)put above my readers. I promise I'll stop updating far and few between. And, I'm working on an ending chapter for Don't Worry. Really sorry, again!**

Katara had gotten the ok from Toph's parents to come early in the morning on weekends. On this particular Sunday, Sokka had actually come. Aang came too, but she had started to attend a few times before. Katara thought she could help, since she was closer to Toph's age and it would help his human interaction.

They had been directed where the training room was, near the back of the house, which was a pretty long walk.

"Why are you coming again?" Katara asked. "Trying to steal some things?"

"What? Are stereotyping me?"

"Well, yea. You're Sokka and you'd do something stupid like that."

"That is true." Aang said.

Sokka crossed her arms. "I was five, ok? Just because I happen to pick up candy and look at it and accidently happen to walk out with it, doesn't mean I'm going to do that here. They probably have like a million cameras anyway."

"Cameras?"

"Yea. If I was rich and I had people working with and around my son, I'd have cameras everywhere, front door, kitchen, even the bathroom."

"Also true." Aang added.

Katara widened his eyes. He looked down, blinking. "That's...that isn't possible, Sokka."

Sokka shrugged this off, beginning to groan. "Are we there yet?"

Katara grabbed his temples. He could have seen this coming. Next time, she was definitely not coming. She would at least have to pay him first.

"I think this is it." Aang said, as she pointed to a door.

The three walked in, knowing immediately it was the right place.

The room was large, though not the largest in the house, with work out equipment all around. In the middle of the room, was a boxing ring. Inside it was Toph and another boy. Two muscular men, one with a tan like he worked out on a beach, and the other like he always worked out in the dark, stood to the side. The two boys had their fists taped and bruises over their bodies.

Toph did two quick jabs in the boy's stomach, then a hard uppercut to his chin. The boy fell, but not before a slow motion of blood coming out of his nose and a tooth falling out.

"Ha, ha! Take that, bitch!" Toph laughed.

He looked at the tan guy with a confused look on his face. "Did I...did I say that right?"

The other guy went under the rope, tending to the kid.

The tan guy put his hands to his head. "Toph, what has The Boulder told you?! Say it like you mean it! You have to have the back talk along with the fight back!" He crawled under the rope, then climbed onto one of the poles that held the rope in the square.

He jumped into the air, holding his feet to his back, knees pointed. He hit the other guy in the back, causing him to fall over the other boy.

"Oh, yea! The Boulder has just shown you the fundamentals of boxing like a pro! Now go before I beat you so badly that you'll be bent over like your girlfriend did last night." He looked at Toph, crossing his arms. "That's how it's done."

"But...I don't have a girlfriend."

"Then, get one! You need to be more manly!"

Katara looked at Sokka, who was in complete astonishment. Of course, he was as well, never believing Toph would punch a guy out like that or curse. Though he suspected she was like that because of the guy who referred to himself in the third person. Aang had a painful expression.

"Oh, my gosh, that was so awesome!" Sokka cried.

The two looked at them.

"Hi, Sokka! Hi, Katara! Hi, Aang!" Toph waved with a wide smile.

"Don't greet like that to them! It is not manly."

"Are those two dead?" Katara muttered, looking at the bodies laying there, through the rope.

"Don't worry, Katara. They'll get up." Toph assured. "Boulder, these are my teachers, Sokka, Aang, and Katara. Sokka, Aang, and Katara, this is my new trainer, The Boulder. And, those two are a trainer and boy from a gym across town. Recently, they've started to come here, also with others, for us to battle one on one or double team."

"And, The Boulder always wins." The Boulder stated.

"But, what about last week with those other two guys? You and I got beaten pretty fa-"

The Boulder put a hand over his mouth, laughing nervously. "This boy probably had brain damage from boxing too much. Or...it could it be The Boulder's awesomeness."

Aang groaned. "Is that why when I tried to teach you algebra, you wrote, "awesome + muscle = sweetness"?"

Toph smiled, nodding.

"Is that not right?" The Boulder asked.

"It seemed right to me." Toph shrugged. He scratched his head. "But, then Katara started talking about the correct principles of math..."

"Ha! Math isn't for men!" The Boulder shrugged.

"Then what am I?" Katara muttered in an angry tone.

"Obviously not a man." Sokka stated, snickering with Aang.

"The Boulder's teaching me how to be a man!" Toph said happily.

The Boulder scoffed. "The Boulder is not teaching you. The Boulder is making your manliness come out."

"Oh. Ok."

"What does being a man consist off?" Katara asked, amused by this man's ignorance.

"Anything manly. Like having the woman cook meals for you."

"Hey! I'll have you know my boyfriend cooks for me!" Sokka said, her amazement for the man gone.

"That's because you can't cook." Aang pointed out.

"I'd cook for you, Sokka. But, my parents don't like me using kitchen appliances " Toph said. "I can't even use some of this equipment."

The Boulder slapped him upside the head. "Men do not cook for girls! Men cook when a girl is not present and they can't get to a phone."

Katara grabbed Sokka's arm, fearful that her gauge for anger was overriding. "Toph, I think we should move onto the day's lesson."

"Sure thing, teach." He said, saluting him. The Boulder was an ex-army man and let him call him teach, so he figured Katara would as well.

"Um...ok?" He said, a bit weirded out.

Toph nodded, rubbing the back of his sore head, and climbing under the ropes.

"Come on, dudes." He motioned, saying 'dudes,' a bit odd. "Let's go up to my room."

* * *

In Toph's room, after Toph took a shower...

"Why do you always dress up so much?" Sokka asked.

Toph shrugged, looking at himself as he tied his tie. "I suppose I just grew into this sort of fashion."

"Yea, but who are you showing off to?"

"Myself, maybe. My parents." He shrugged again, looking at himself in the mirror on the wall. "Maybe to the world?"

"Wow, this conversation got real boring, real-Ow!" Sokka cried, from the blow of Katara's fist.

When Toph was done with his tie, he moved a pile of folded clothes into a hamper.

"Why are you putting those in there?" Aang asked.

"Those are my dirty clothes."

Sokka gasped. "You fold your dirty clothes?!"

Toph nodded slowly, wondering if he was right or not. "Is that not manly?"

"Toph, you don't need to be manly to be a man." Katara said.

"But, The Boulder says guys who say that aren't men."

"He also said education wasn't for men. Do you not want us to teach you?"

Toph frowned, noticing the flaws in The Boulder's words.

"Well, he is a pretty good boxing coach. I'll only listen to that kind of stuff." He promised. "My parents hired him a few weeks ago. He's been teaching me a lot of new slang or words. Like, "yea," can also mean "yes." Did you guys know that?"

"Uh, yea dude." Sokka said.

"Dude. Words like that too. Yes-Yea, that's me." He smiled.

"Didn't you have bruises?" Aang asked, noting his smooth and clear face.

"Y-yea." He had to remember to stop using yes. "But, I wear makeup to hide them from my parents. Ever since Katara snuck me out, I've wanted to be a little more free. These fights, that The Boulder have started, I've been having with other children is such a new thing for me. I don't even know them and they don't know me. But, it's like we've known each other forever because we share a common hobby."

"That was so meaningful, Toph." Aang smiled. She suddenly frowned, looking at Katara. "You snuck him out?!"

"Well, he wanted to meet my Gran Gran a few months ago. I couldn't say no. Look at him. So curious!"

"I'd really like to go out again!" Toph said excitedly.

Aang looked at him, noticing the hope in his eyes.

"Can you say no to a face like that?" Sokka asked softly.

Aang was unable to look away, having no sense to say no.

"We could go camping." She said finally.

Toph jumped in triumph. He then stood confused. "What's camping?"


	7. Chapter 7

Toph had been explained that camping was when someone left the modernized world to go live in nature for a few days. He noticed that Aang shared a deep passion in this. He liked having her as a friend. She had a different outlook on life, like everyone else he had met after Katara. Usually, the people he knew had hard outer shells and even harder insides. According to them, everything he knew, he had learned, he had been lied to from the moment he was born.

Toph didn't want to do the next thing that Aang had asked of him. But, he was a man of his word and he said he would do this.

He tied up his dress shoes, then stood up, straightening his tie. He went back to his mirror, checking his hair. He had fashioned it in the braid he usually wore. He smoothed his bangs, one huge chunk of it to the side of his forehead and the other slim strand going behind his ear.

"Um, do you really have to be _this _dressed?" Sokka asked.

He nodded, beginning to fiddle with his cuff links. Each one had the initials TBF on them. "These are my parents. And, not to be rude, but they're the most important people to me. Besides, if they're going to allow me to go, I'll need to look presentable."

"Is everything about apperences for you rich folk?"

"Well, yes, I suppose. My mother always says that it's best to use your money smart and where it is needed. If I don't know my saten from my cotton, then I might as well count my days working and possibly taking over my parents' company very few."

He was in a suit. One of the best he had. He buttoned his jacket the same way his father would. He clipped in his silver pocket watch.

The three could see the seriousness in Toph as he walked down the hall poised and hands behind his back. They stood infront of the door to the room Toph knew his parents would be in.

He placed a hand on the handle. "You three will have to stay quiet when we're in there. Unless you're spoken to."

"Why?"

"This is a conversation between me and my parents." He said.

"My parents and I." Aang corrected.

"And, don't do that infront of them." Toph said.

"Do what?"

"Correct me. It makes me seem bad and it'll effect the outcome of their decision."

The three agreed.

Toph pushed open the door, walking in. There were Poppy and Lao, in elegant chairs, sipping tea and discussing their days.

"Oh, Toph. What brings you and your friends here?" Lao asked.

"Well, mother, father," he said, looking from one to the other, "I have a question to ask."

"Go ahead, son."

"May I leave our home to accompany my friends on a camping trip?"

"Camping?"

"Yes." Toph nodded, noticing the wariness in the two.

"Out in the wilderness."

He nodded again. "Aang says it's a learning experience with nature."

Lao rubbed his chin. "You would be going camping with these three?"

"And a few more children."

"These children do seem trustworthy. Toph has grown a liking to them."

"He is fifteen now. He is going to have to experience the real world sooner or later." She stated with a sigh.

"I'm fine with this, though...is it safe?" Lao asked to no one in particular. He pointed at Katara. "I want you to promise me something."

Katara straightened. "Y-yes?" He had always thought that talking to them was very hard.

"My son can attend this..._camping_ though, this is the first time he has to ever leave this house. We've kept him in here for a reason. If anything happens, I assure you, there will be neccasary actions taken and you will be to blame."

He gulped. "Of...of course."

"You may go." Poppy dismissed.

* * *

"You lied!" Aang cried.

"What are you talking about?"

"Katara, you know what I'm talking about. His parents don't know he's left the house before!"

"Do they really need to know?"

"Well, they might want to."

"Actually, my parents would probably sue him and his family for all they have." Toph stated, hanging up his good suit. "Plus, they would probably never let me out of this house again."

"See? His parents are scary to me. They can have the top twenty lawyers in the world and find some way to lock me up for the rest of my life."

"They could do that without lawyers." Toph said.

The two continued to fight over the subject.

"So, when'd you turn fifteen?" Sokka asked.

"A couple of days ago." He smiled. "I got a bow tie. My mother says it looks cute on me. And, you should know, it does."


	8. Chapter 8

It was Thursday, the night before the departure of the camping trip. It was only Toph and Katara in his room, continuing their math session.

Toph tapped his pencil to his chin and recalled what he was suppose to tell Katara. "Oh, yea!" He said in realization. "My parents want you to choose which clothes are fitting for camping. A rack of choices should be arriving any moment."

Just as he spoke, the door opened.

Blood rushed to Toph's face. He quickly covered Katara's eyes before he saw anything.

"Y-you were suppose to bring in the camping clothes! N-not those!" He cried.

"We're very sorry." One servant said.

"Your mother said to put these in your closet." A second said.

"N-not now! Go get the camping ones!"

"There are camping dresses?"

"Dresses?" Katara asked. He moved Toph's hand with ease, seeing a dozen or so dresses, a few of them frilly. "I thought you only wore dresses when you were a baby."

Toph cleared his throat, shooing away the servants to get the other rack of clothes, leaving behind the first. It didn't matter anymore. He rolled his shoulders. "My...my mother almost changed her mind. So, she added something more to the deal. She wanted to do this again."

Toph was not going to admit that he didn't see this as a punishment, more as a reward of some sort. And he would definitely not tell him that he choose some of them or that he thought that the last one of the right of the rack was definitely not his style and wouldn't accent his figure. It would make his thighs look fat.

"You know, you still have to show the guys that photo of you."

Toph had forgotten about that. "I thought Zuko, Aang, and Sokka were girls."

"They are. It's just a kind of referal term."

The servants came back, with the correct camping aquipment.

"Toph, we found this as well." The first one said, holding up a girl scout's uniform.

Toph put his head down, pointing at the door for them to leave immediatly.

Katara looked at all the clothes on the rack. "Um, all you really need is some cargo shorts, t shirts, and some sneakers. You know. All that stuff that you can get dirty. We're going to be sleeping on the ground for like...four days. It's going to be an extra long weekend because the Monday after is off for us, then that Tuesday is a full day of teacher meetings."

"Oh." Toph said. "Good thing we can still return these."

"Father, I am not going with these imbeciles your daughter calls 'friends!'" Azula cried. He was leaning into the car window of his father's car.

"Listen. My daughter is your sister. And you and your sister's mother is completely set on having an alone weekend or a family weekend. Now, I have to pick either spending several hours with you and your friends, or several hours with your mother. I choose my wife."

"You're selling your own son out for sex?!"

"Yes. I made the same decision more than one and a half decades ago and you came out of it. Now you are going on this camping trip or you will be out in the cold for the weekend. Do you understand me?"

"No!"

The two continued to fight, like father and son, in the driveway of Gran-Gran's.

"Why are they coming again?" Suki asked, having his chin on Sokka's head. She sat a set below him on the front steps, inbetween his legs.

"I didn't ask them to come." She said. "I blame Zuko!"

"What?! I'm not the one who invited them. My mom thought it'd be a good experience as a brother and sister building relationship or something. He never agreed, even when she said she invited Mai and Tylee as well."

"We're right here you know." Mai said in his usual monotone. He sighed. "I didn't even want to come anyway."

"That's right! I made him come!" Tylee said happily. "We just aren't the same if we all aren't together."

Mai humphed, crossing his arms.

"Hey! I'm still talking to you!" Azula cried, his dad driving off. He ran after him for a few steps, shaking his fist.

"Great. All we need to do now is wait for Toph and we're ok to leave." Katara said.

Gran-Gran waddled outside of the house. "Is the CIA here?" She asked, seeing a completely blacked out car, including the windows.

"Toph...?" Mai asked curiously, a bit late.

It must have been like one of those clown cars, because three men came out from either side of the door. They created a rectangle around something, 2 by 1. They were all in suits and ties, shades and ear pieces on their faces.

Two hands moved aside the front two men, revealing Toph. He was in sneakers, cargo shorts, and a simple t-shirt, just as Katara ordered. He also had a backpack of all the things he would need. He ran to the curb, but tripped on the concrete. He was quickly caught by one of the guys by his ankle, holding him upside down. Another one caught his shirt

"Sir, the fox is out of the hole. Repeat, the fox is out of the hole and no scratches so far." He called. "He tripped over a bear trap, but was saved."

"His middriff is covered. Repeat, it is covered." The other said.

Toph waved upside. "Hey, hey guys. Guess who the fox is." He pointed to himself. He opened his eyes, looking at everyone. "Oh! Oh, Mai! Mai, hey! Remember me?"

"Yes, I remember you, you little goofball." He sighed, smiling a bit.

Toph laughed. "I didn't know you were coming."

"The same for you."

"You know him?" Azula asked, who was just about next to them in the driveway. He poked Toph in the stomach, causing him to giggle.

One of the suited men jumped on him, pointing a gun to him head and holding his hands behind his back. "You do not touch the fox! The fox did not allow you to touch him! If you touch him again, I will take that as a threat and I will shoot!"

"Ok, rookie." Another man said. He was the only one with a badge, obviously the chief in this operation. "I think you've proved your allegance."

The man nodded, putting his gun back in it's secret compartment. He got off Azula and returned to the rest of the formation.

"Of course we know each other." Toph said. "Our parents worked together so we used to, um, how do you say? Chill? But, then his parents and my parents began arguing. He stopped coming over because of my parents. They can be so stubborn sometimes."

"Don't say that." Sokka said, referring to 'chill'. "It doesn't sound cool."

"Sorry." He was finally turned right side up. He stumbled a bit, the blood going back towards his feet.

"Are those guys coming camping too?" Suki asked.

"What? No. They're just here to drop me off and pick me back up."

"But, fox!" The chief cried. "Your parents ordered us to look after you!"

Toph continued to smile, not looking back at them. "Ah, but I'm ordering you to get back in that car and leave me alone. If you don't follow my orders, you'll be fired."

"But-but if we defy your parents...we'll be fired still!"

"Not if anyone doesn't tell. Now go off."

They all hesitated.

Something in Toph's pocket rang. He took it out, revealing a cell phone his parents had bought him to keep in touch with him. They had also bought several battiers to replace in the phone if it ran out of power.

Toph put on a sad face. He sniffed as if he were crying. "M-mother. The guards...they-they're being so-so mean..." He didn't have to look back to hear the men hurrying into the car and driving off. He put on his regular face. "So mean to this boy who touched me that is. But, I know they're just trying to protect me. I'm so glad you picked them to watch over me this weekend. Oh no. I'm alright. I just had a little bit of a sneezing fit before you called. I'm fine now though. No mother, I'm not sick. Ok. Yes. Yes, mother. No. Oh look. I've got to get going now. Goodbye. Yes. Ok. Goodbye. I love you too. Yes. See you in a few days, mother."

He finally hung up, letting out a sigh. "So, when are we leaving?"

"He's so evil." Azula muttered.

"Wow, if Azula's saying that..." Aang said.

"Let's go children. My hip is starting to hurt from bordom." Gran Gran waved. Her husband Pakku came out of the house, holding several bags. Most of which were Sokka and his wife's.

"At least you don't have any pressure on your hip."

"Might I remind you how you broke my hip?"

"Aw, ew! Old people sex!"

All of the children covered their ears and stuck their tongues out. All but Toph, who still didn't understand.

"Sex? Is that something only young people should do, then?" He asked, trying to wrap his head around this.

"Only if they want to end up on MTV." Pakku groaned, plopping the bags into the trunk of his van. It was big enough to hold them all.

"MTV?"

"Yea, you know. The network on television. It has the shows like 16 and Pregnent and Teen Mom and Teen Mom 2." Tylee informed.

"I never understood why they added Teen Mom 2. They could have just added more seasons."

"I know, right? It completely confuses my DVR." He stated.

"Are your parents still opting to keep you completely pure and inoccent?" Mai asked.

Toph nodded.

Then, they all packed into the cramped car, heading into the countryside. When they got out near the forest, they all breathed in the fresh air with relief. There was a short path that they had discovered a years back to give then a sucluded campground instead of having to pay for a spot two inches from another group.

After setting up camp, they all had time to relax. It was late, but the sun was still up.

"What's that?" Toph asked, pointing to a tree.

"Seriously?" Sokka asked.

"Not the tree itself, Sokka." Toph laughed. He got up and grabbed one of the bottom branches and pulled himself up beginning the climb.

"Toph, don't...don't climb that." Katara said worryingly.

"Didn't you use to do that?" Pakku asked.

"Ah hem! That was me!" Sokka said.

"You're losing your mind, old man." Gran-Gran said.

Toph pointed to a squirrel that had it's head sticking out of it's knothole. It bared it eyes at him, wondering why he was on his tree. "I'm talking about th-Ow! It bit me!"

"It's a squirrel, you imbecile." Azula stated. "It thinks you want his nuts."

The squirrel began growling somewhat, trying to bit him again. "I don't want your nuts!" He hurriedly climbed down.

Sokka and Suki laughed, hearing the adult side of that joke.

Later, during the campfire...

"Hey, Toph." Sokka said to him, snickering with Suki.

"Hm?" He asked, having trouble eating his eggs and hot dogs on his plate that Gran-Gran had made for the whole group, due to the bandage on his hand.

"Do you like eggs-"

"Or hotdogs?" Suki finished for her.

"Hotdogs and eggs? I've never really had either. They're both a good expierence. But, I suppose you're referring to my sexual orientation."

The couple sulked in the middle of their laughter, finding their joke ruined.

"I know you don't think so Katara, but The Boulder really does teach me things than a simple one-two." Toph stated.

"I think they're just being very imature." Azula said, crossing his arms. He looked at Toph. "So, if you really knew Mai, way back when, what's one of his favorite things to do?"

Toph thought for a moment, thinking of which one to chose from. "Sewing. He's a professional." He finally said, pointing up.

"Pfft. Yea, right. Mai, who is this guy?"

Mai looked up from his eggs and shrugged. "I dabble a bit."

"You sew, Mai?" Tylee asked. "You never told us that."

"It was a mostly a private hobby before now."

"Will you make me a prom dress?" Sokka asked.

Mai sighed. Toph was still the same. Think after speaking. "I'll need your wasit, breast, arms, and just to be sure, thigh and leg measurements. The last two are just incase you want the dress to be more flowed and roomy."

"Do you really need the breast?" Katara asked, Suki thinking the same. She was their sister and girlfriend.

"Well, if she wants a strapless dress, she'll be popping out if it's too tight or it'll be falling off her. If she wants straps at least, there will be an obvious buldge of emptiness if it's too big or she won't be able to breath."

"I want the breast measurements." Sokka said sternly.

"It's needs to be bare chested or with a bra on."

Katara and Suki immediatly objected.

"I told you guys he was a professional." Toph smiled.


	9. Chapter 9

Toph watched silently as Sokka stood in the shallow water of the stream that was near their campsite. Aang sat next to him. She had no idea the two were behind her, having her back towards them.

"What's she doing?" Toph asked softly.

"Trying to catch fish." Aang replied.

"Why?"

"I have no idea. We already have enough food for two weeks and we're only staying until Monday night." She replied with a shrug.

Sokka locked onto a fish that circled her foot. "Gotcha…" She smirked to herself and pulled her hand back.

"Hey Sokka! What are you doing?!" Toph cried, cuffing his hands around his mouth.

Sokka yelped like a small puppy and fell forward into the water. The fish hopped onto her wet hair and then flopped back into the water. It was almost as it were…mocking her.

Aang put hand over her mouth, hiding a smile and laugh.

Toph grew red with a shy smile. "Sorry Sokka. I didn't know you were so concentrated. That was like the time Aang tried to teach me pig latin and I was so focused that when Katara tapped my shoulder I almost gave him a black eye. But I didn't because I stopped just in time and we got back to pig latin. Ow nay iay an cay peak say lu fay nt eay y lay."

Sokka looked at him with a face of stupidity. She stood and shook her head of water as best she could.

"Whatever you said, I don't care. You just lost me my fish!"

"He said, 'now I can speak fluently'." Aang repeated. "And why are you fishing exactly? We still have fruit, vegetables, and other snacks and foods for breakfast. Plus we have some left over beans from last night."

Sokka laughed, stepping out of the water and stood over the two. "Aang I know you're all anti meat and all, but I can't go the next two days living on nuts and berries."

"I'm not anti meat. I'm against animal cruelty. There's a difference. I'd rather people didn't cut up animals and allow our species to eat them to extinction as well as hunting them for sport and selling products from their body like ivory and shark teeth. Even tigers are dying because of the human race just because the prices of their skin are worth so much. We're destroying the homes of small animals by cutting down trees and forests to make toothpicks and paper. One day, all the plants and animals will be gone and the human race will be null and void because our atmosphere will lack the element of oxygen. If we could all just learn to get along with animals, maybe we could stop war and we wouldn't need weapons of mass destruction like the president thought we did when dealing with Hiroshima."

Aang finished her protest and waited in the silence.

"Humans do that? I don't think I want to be human anymore." Toph muttered, playing with his fingers.

"Toph, you've been a human since you were born. You can't change that." Sokka sighed.

"Trust me. I know how you feel." Aang muttered. "But you can start changing yourself by recycling and donating to local charities."

"Don't get him to transition to the good side. The dark side is so much funner,"

"More fun." Aang said.

"And no grammar fixes." Sokka glared.

* * *

After a day more of fun, random wood activities, and other shenanigans, our characters rest during their final night campfire…

"I hope you all are ready to go back home." Gran-Gran said.

"Not really." Toph said. He picked a piece of corn off his corn on the cob.

"Why not? Don't you miss your parents?"

"Well, yes, Suki. Though, I feel like something is wrong. They haven't called me in the last day and a half. They told me they would check on me every few hours."

"Maybe they just totally trust us." Sokka said.

"Ha." Mai said sarcastically. "They're probably waiting for his return as we speak and are going to confine him to his room for the rest of eternity."

"You haven't changed a bit, Mai." Toph smiled.

* * *

The next morning back at Gran-Gran's…

Toph shuffled his foot as a black car with tinted windows came in front of him. The men from before stepped out. One of them harshly grabbed his arm.

"Come on, Wolf. We need to get you back home with your parents."

"With?"

"To, I meant." He said quickly.

Toph frowned and quickly turned towards his friends. He felt something touch his back, beckoning him to not run away.

Toph smiled. "His tay an may as hay hey un gay o tay y may ack bay."

Aang widened her eyes as Toph waved his final goodbye.

"What did you just say?" The guard holding him asked. A small click rang into Toph's ears.

"Nothing. I can't say bye to my friends in pig latin?"

"Little smart ass…"

"Chloroform him when we get him in the car." One of the guards whispered.

"No, no. Just put him in the trunk tied up. We ran out of chloroform thanks to his parents." Another whispered.

They all got into the car and when the door was shut, there were a few shakes of the car then it was silent. Then it sped off with a large cloud of dust covering the street.

"Did that seem weird to anyone?" Sokka asked.

"Guys, I think Toph just got kidnapped." Aang said.

"What?"

"Well, he just said 'this man has a gun to my back', so I'm guessing so."

"Wait, look." Katara said, as the dust cleared.

Three bodies rolled on the ground. One of them was pushing the other two. That one was Toph, who was tied up along with his parents.

They stopped at the curb and Toph breathed heavily. He looked up at them all. "I don't mean to be rude, but is anyone going to untie us?"


End file.
